The son of German nobility, Zeppelin entered the military and, as was expected of aristocrats of the time, served in the American Civil War. While in the United States, he became interested in air travel after observing balloons being used by the military for intelligence gathering. He returned to Germany and rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the German army. He then left the army in 1891 to devote himself to aviation.

While hospitalized for a riding injury in 1874, he outlined plans for an airship as big as an ocean liner, capable of carrying cargo, mail, and twenty passengers. He already knew how the dirigible should be constructed: a rigid metal structure of vertical rings held in place by long rows of girders; separate gas cells between the rings; a fabric skin covering the metal structure. However, no power source was yet available to drive this airship through...